For the first time in its storied history, the UFC is set to promote a female fight inside the world-famous octagon. On Feb. 23 in Anaheim, Calif., newly crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey faces Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche in the UFC 157 main event.

UFC officials announced plans for the historic title fight earlier this month.

Rousey (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom since capturing the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title in March. The Olympic bronze-medal judoka made headlines in November when it was announced that she had become the first female fighter signed to the UFC.

Carmouche (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) came up just short in her bid for the Strikeforce title as a late replacement in 2011, but she is currently riding a two-fight win streak after making a pair of successful appearances in the all-female Invicta FC promotion. Of Carmouche’s eight wins, seven have ended inside the distance.

As with Rousey’s UFC signing this past month, her bout with Carmouche has also drawn mixed reactions from fans and media.

Some see it as a landmark achievement for female fighters to have finally joined the ranks of the UFC, and many have rallied behind Carmouche, an openly lesbian fighter and former U.S. Marine who has developed a sizable fanbase. Detractors, though, believe that the UFC is only interested in promoting Rousey and that little focus will be placed on developing a complete women’s division. Others have lashed out at the UFC for promoting a female fight at all.

Whether or not the promotion intends to showcase female fighters for the long term, Rousey and Carmouche will make history when they meet in February. The UFC 157 main card also features three past champions. Former UFC titleholder Lyoto Machida faces former two-division PRIDE champion Dan Henderson in a light-heavyweight bout. Additionally, former long-time WEC kingpin Urijah Faber takes on Ivan Menjivar in a bantamweight rematch.

UFC 157 takes place at Honda Center and airs live on pay-per-view.

Jessica Eye scores huge win at Bellator 83

Strong Style Fight Team’s Jessica “Evil” Eye picked up the biggest victory of her career in her most high-profile fight to date on Dec. 7 in Atlantic City, N.J. Eye choked out Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel in a non-title flyweight bout on the Bellator 83 main card.

Eye (9-1 MMA, 3-0 BFC) sent Gurgel (12-2 MMA, 6-1 BFC) crashing to the mat with a one-two combo shortly after the opening bell. She dove in with more punches, but Gurgel recovered and managed to battle back to her feet. On the way up, Eye locked on a standing arm-triangle choke, and she used it to back Gurgel up to the cage.

Gurgel tried to break free of the hold but couldn’t break the grip. Soon after, Gurgel dropped to her knees, unconscious, and the fight was waved off. The technical submission came just 58 seconds into Round 1, and an elated Eye celebrated the quick victory with her Strong Style teammates. The 26-year-old Ohio native has won six straight fights and two in a row over top-level opposition.

Eye will now be seen as a favorite to win the inaugural Bellator women’s flyweight tournament, which is still targeted for 2013 on Spike TV.

Ayaka Hamasaki retains title in ‘Jewels: 22nd Ring’ headliner

Jewels lightweight queen champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) successfully retained her 115-pound title in a hard-fought bout against veteran contender Emi “Kamikaze Angel” Fujino (11-6) this past Saturday at “Jewels: 22nd Ring” in Tokyo. Hamasaki controlled the fight on the ground in the first and third rounds, and that proved to be enough to earn her the win on the scorecards.

Fujino was aggressive with punches in the opening frame, but Hamasaki wisely took the fight to the mat and landed some hard shots from the top. Fujino fought her way back to her feet and briefly wobbled Hamasaki with a counter right hand. She kept Hamasaki on the defensive with more punches in Round 2 and countered a takedown with a guillotine choke. Hamasaki eventually escaped and scored another big takedown late in the round.

In Round 3 of the action-packed bout, Fujino once again started out strong with punching combinations until Hamasaki took her down. Once there, Hamasaki dominated the remainder of the round with punches and submission attempts. All three judges scored the fight in Hamasaki’s favor, and she remains unbeaten in her MMA career.

The co-main event on the card saw Japan’s top female prospect, 18-year-old Mizuki Inoue (4-1), notch another impressive submission win. Inoue, who was originally in line to face former Jewels title challenger Seo Hee Ham on the card, submitted Ham’s South Korean compatriot Hyo Kyung Song (0-2) with an armbar midway through the second round.

Song was very aggressive with punches in Round 1 and landed some decent shots, but they only seemed to anger Inoue, and she answered back with power punches of her own. Inoue scored a pair of takedowns and nearly finished the fight with an armbar before the bell. It was more of the same in Round 2, and Inoue countered Song’s punches with a takedown. She tried for a rear-naked choke and transitioned to the armbar soon after. Song had nowhere to go and tapped out at the 2:14 mark of the second round.

In another featured bout on the Jewels card, Mika “Future Princess” Nagano (11-8) earned her third victory over fellow Jewels veteran Rina Tomita (3-8) in Tomita’s retirement bout. Nagano took down Tomita early in the fight and worked for an armbar from the top. She secured the hold, and Tomita was forced to submit at the 2:12 mark of Round 1.

Former high school wrestling champion Jade Marie Anderson (1-0) made a successful MMA debut by scoring a unanimous-decision victory over Japanese MMA pioneer Megumi Yabushita (19-21) in a featherweight bout. Anderson’s takedowns and top control were too much for Yabushita, and the American fighter walked away with a well-earned decision win.

Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada (14-8-3) continued her climb back into title contention by defeating the previously unbeaten Satomi Takano (2-1). Tamada, the first Valkyrie flyweight champion, showed off improved striking skills and threatened with a number of submission attempts on the ground en route to a unanimous-decision victory. She has won back-to-back fights under the Jewels banner, and both fights have come against tough opponents.

In an atomweight bout that was much more competitive than many had anticipated, former Jewels title contender Kikuyo Ishikawa (8-3) narrowly eked out a unanimous-decision win over Tomo Maesawa (0-2). Maesawa kept Ishikawa on the defensive with takedowns and armbar attempts, but Ishikawa began to find her range on the feet and landed some nice combinations later in the fight. Her striking proved to be the difference maker in the judges’ minds. Ishikawa initially was announced the winner by majority decision, but the result was later corrected to a unanimous decision. Ishikawa has won both of her fights this year.

A planned 130-pound bout between Shizuka Sugiyama and Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi was scrapped on the day before the event due to a Modafferi neck injury suffered in training. “Jewels: 22nd Ring” was the first-ever Jewels event contested inside a steel cage.

The Invicta FC 4 main card also features three intriguing bantamweight matchups. In the co-main event, Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-7) faces fellow submission specialist Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis (12-5) in a rematch from a closely contested bout in March 2010. Baszler prevailed in the first fight via razor-thin unanimous decision and went on to capture championship titles in each of her next two fights. Davis has won five of seven since the loss to Baszler and looks for a measure of revenge next month.

Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (4-2-1) seeks her second straight Invicta FC win when she takes on Raquel “Rocky” Pennington (3-2). Smith engaged in a “Fight of the Night” battle with Kaitlin Young on the inaugural Invicta FC card in April that ended in a contentious split draw. She settled the score with Young by stopping the Minnesota native with punches in a rematch at Invicta FC 3. Pennington made a successful Invicta FC debut in July and now looks to get back on the winning track after suffering a submission loss to “Alpha” Cat Zingano in October.

A third bantamweight feature fight pits Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-2) against Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (6-3). Nunes looked to be on the fast track to a title fight in Strikeforce after knocking out Julia “The Jewel” Budd in just 14 seconds, but her return to the bantamweight division did not go as planned when Alexis Davis stopped her in September 2011. She rebounded with a quick win in her Invicta FC debut. D’Alelio has fought on all three Invicta FC cards to date. She posted one-sided submission victories over Vanessa Mariscal and Vanessa Porto before succumbing to Shayna Baszler’s rear-naked choke at Invicta FC 3.

On Dec. 7, an atomweight bout between local standout Laura Sanko (4-1 amateur) and Cassie Robb (3-2-1) was added to the Invicta FC 4 preliminary card. Sanko, formerly Laura Marcusse prior to her recent marriage, has won three straight bouts and captured her first title belt in her most recent fight. Robb is coming off of a title-winning victory of her own in October.

On Dec. 1, Rin Nakai (13-0-1) kept her unbeaten record intact by defeating Danielle “The Honey Badger” West (4-5-1) in a rematch for the inaugural bantamweight Queen of Pancrase title at Pancrase Progress Tour 14 in Tokyo. The win earned Nakai the first women’s title in Pancrase history, dating back to the promotion’s inception in 1993.

Despite a passive third round, Nakai took the victory on all three judges’ scorecards thanks to her takedowns and submission attempts in the first 10 minutes. She now has won three straight fights since her first bout against West, which ended in a rather controversial split draw in September 2011.

Nakai’s title win was not without some controversy as well, however. West was unable to make the bantamweight limit for the title fight and was deemed ineligible to win the championship as a result. While this seemed to be a logical course of action, Pancrase officials then announced that West would be ineligible to win the fight at all – a knockout or submission victory would be deemed a no-contest – and prevented her from using knees or chokes during the fight. Had she opted not to fight, West would have forfeited her fight purse and faced an additional fine.

As a result of the disappointing loss, West announced plans to retire from the sport following a career spanning more than nine years. Nakai was in talks to possibly compete again at DREAM.18 on New Year’s Eve, but she is no longer expected to fight on the card.

Quick results

Ritika Singh (1-1) def. Aya Saeid “Sheklesa” Saber (1-2) via unanimous decision at Super Fight League 11 on Nov. 30 in Mumbai, India. Saber held an edge in the striking exchanges in Round 1, but Singh countered a takedown in the second round and rained down punches from mount. Saber appeared to win the standup battles again in Round 3, and she reversed a takedown into mount, but Singh managed to sweep, and she closed out the fight with hammerfists from the top. All three judges scored the close fight in Singh’s favor.

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2-0) def. Paulina Bonkowska (3-2) via unanimous decision at “KSW 21: Final Resolution” on Dec. 1 in Warsaw, Poland. Kowalkiewicz showcased strong boxing skills early in Round 1, but Bonkowska scored a big takedown in the corner. She struck from the top until Kowalkiewicz countered with an armbar. Kowalkiewicz scored with knees and punches late in the round and picked up where she left off with more strikes early in Round 2. All three judges scored the action-packed bout for Kowalkiewicz, who remains unbeaten.

Daniela Maria “Danny Fenix” da Silva (1-1) def. Kaka Naja (2-1) via TKO (foot injury) after two five-minute rounds at Maceio Fighting Championship on Dec. 1 in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil. Naja originally had intended to compete twice in one week, but those plans were scrapped when she suffered the fight-ending injury. Da Silva notched her first pro win in the process.

Camila “Camilinha Pitbull” Lima (5-4) def. Herica Tiburcio (4-1) via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) at Supreme Fight Championship on Dec. 1 in Sao Paulo. Both fighters worked for submissions on the ground in the first two rounds, but Tiburcio held top position for long stretches of time and appeared to be ahead after 10 minutes. Lima secured a takedown and tried for an inverted triangle kneebar in the final round, and she then battered a fatigued Tiburcio on the feet with punches. The crowd reacted with a mix of shock and boos when Lima was announced as the winner, and there was a lengthy deliberation in the cage following the fight. The bout was briefly overturned to a no-contest due to the bizarre scoring, but Lima’s victory has since been restored. This fight was a rematch from Lima’s last loss in June 2011.

Brenda “Boom Boom” Gonzales (4-0) def. Elsie “The Sweetheart” Zwicker (6-5) via TKO (punches) at the 4:59 mark of Round 2 at “KOTC: Battlegrounds” on Dec. 1 in Towaoc, Colo. Gonzales successfully retained her KOTC 125-pound women’s title with the TKO victory. She has finished three of her four opponents to date and is one of the fastest rising prospects in the women’s flyweight division.

Pannie “Banzai” Kianzad (2-0) def. Cheryl Flynn (0-1) via TKO (punches) in Round 1 at “Vision FC 5: Finale” on Dec. 1 in Stockholm. Kianzad has posted wins in both of her fights this year, and she is already scheduled to compete again on Dec. 29 in Sweden.

Sylwia Juskiewicz (2-1) def. Eva Liskova (0-2-1) via KO (knee) at the 4:40 mark of Round 2 at “Gladiator Championship Fighting 18: Destiny” on Dec. 1 in Prague, Czech Republic. Juskiewicz has fought three times since Oct. 20, and she’s won both of her pro bouts via knockout and fought to a draw in a two-round amateur match.

Julia Berezikova (7-3) def. Karla Benitez (7-4) via submission (armbar) at the 1:42 mark of Round 2 in a rematch at Super Fight League 12 on Dec. 7 in Mumbai, India. Berezikova eked out a split-decision win over Benitez when the fighters first fought in May. She left no doubt as to who was the superior fighter in the rematch and dominated Round 1 with leg kicks and quick punches. Benitez scored a takedown in Round 2, but Berezikova countered with armbar attempts and eventually forced Benitez to submit. Berezikova has won six straight fights.

Stephanie “Snowflake” Eggink (2-1) def. “Hurricane” Heather Clark (5-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) at “XFC 21: Night of Champions 2″ on Dec. 7 in Nashville, Tenn. Clark scored with hard right hooks early in Round 1, but Eggink began to take control of the bout with submission attempts and ground and pound as the fight progressed. In the final round, Eggink landed stiff jabs and knees, and then stuffed a takedown and punished Clark with hammerfists to the side of the face. The win got Eggink back on track after a loss in March.

Kinberly Tanaka Novaes (5-1) def. Anne “Karol Mutante” Karoline (0-1) via split decision at Iron Fight Combat 2 on Dec. 7 in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. The opening round was very close and both fighters landed some decent strikes on the feet. Karoline countered a takedown with an armbar in Round 2 and scored a takedown of her own later in the round. Novaes dominated the final five minutes from top position, and her late rally proved to be just enough to steal back the fight on the scorecards. The 21-year-old Novaes has won five straight fights.

Amanda “Powerhouse” Lucas (5-1) def. Yuiga (3-6) via majority decision in a non-title bout at “DEEP: Cage Impact 2012 in Tokyo” on Dec. 8. Both fighters scored with some hard punches from top position in Round 1. Lucas established her jab in Round 2 and outstruck Yuiga with combinations that kept Yuiga on the defensive. One judge saw the fight even. The remaining two scored it for Lucas, whose DEEP open-weight title was not on the line in the fight.

Manjit Kolekar (3-0) def. Monika (1-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:27 mark of Round 2 at “Super Fight League 13: Night of Champions” on Dec. 14 in Mumbai, India. Monika secured an early takedown and attempted a bulldog choke, but Kolekar escaped and took her back. She quickly locked on the rear-naked choke, and Monika tapped out. Kolekar remains unbeaten in her MMA career, and she has won back-to-back SFL fights.

Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (8-4) def. “Little” Patricia Vidonic (7-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in a rematch at Bellator 84 on Dec. 14 in Hammond, Ind. Just as in their first fight in April, Vidonic had no answer for Herrig’s punching combinations on the feet, and Herrig once again showed off her much-improved takedown defense. It was Herrig who took the fight to the mat on numerous occasions, and she remained active with submission attempts and ground and pound. Vidonic’s best success came in Round 3 with an armbar attempt and a heel hook, but she was unable to secure a submission, and Herrig cruised to a lopsided unanimous-decision victory. She has won five of her past six fights.

Caroline Correia (1-0) def. late replacement Larissa Dias (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 2 at “The Gladiador 2: Proof of Courage” on Dec. 15 in Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil. The victory was Correia’s second in a three-week span. She earned a quick submission win in an amateur bout on Nov. 24 in Curitiba.

Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff (3-3) def. Tyra Parker (2-3) via submission (armbar) in Round 2 at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 51 on Dec. 15 in Duluth, Ga. Ansaroff has earned stoppage wins in each of her past two fights since returning to the cage in November after a 15-month hiatus.

Upcoming fights

Jessy Rose (0-0) faces Mae-Lin Leow (0-1) at “Brace For War 18: Canberra” on Dec. 21 in Canberra, Australia. Rose makes her pro debut in the fight after her planned bout at Brace For War 17 was scrapped. Leow was in action on the all-female Brace 17 card and dropped a competitive majority decision to Tanya Stevens.

On the same Brace For War 18 card, Lana “The Black Mamba” Kate (0-1) looks for her first pro win when she faces newcomer Amy Adam (0-0). Kate debuted on the Brace 17 card and succumbed to a rear-naked choke from Helen Malone. Adam makes her pro debut.

Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii (25-2) faces “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi (10-4-1) at Vale Tudo Japan 2012 on Dec. 24 in Tokyo. While not officially confirmed, this bout may be Fujii’s final fight as she approaches the end of her storied career. The long-time pound-for-pound standout’s two defeats both came via contentious decisions in the Bellator cage. She has submitted 19 of her career opponents and arguably sports the most impressive resume of any female MMA fighter to date. Yamaguchi was the second and final Valkyrie featherweight champion at 115 pounds and is now a top contender in Jewels. She is very skilled on the ground and has won four of her past six fights. Yamaguchi will pose a solid test for Fujii in the New Year’s Eve bout.

Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya (8-1) faces Rania “Shams” Bahi Eldin Abedel Mawgod (2-0) at “Smack Power: Evolution” on Dec. 24 in Cairo, Egypt. Kunitskaya originally had planned to take a year off from fighting after announcing that she was pregnant with her first child in August, but she suffered a miscarriage soon after. She will now return to MMA for the first time since June to face Mawgod, who remains unbeaten in her career and seeks her biggest victory to date.

Fresh off of her victory earlier this month, Pannie “Banzai” Kianzad (2-0) faces Lina Akhtar Lansberg (0-0) at Trophy MMA 1 on Dec. 29 in Malmo, Sweden. Kianzad looks for her third victory of 2012 while Akhtar Lansberg makes her pro debut in the fight.

Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (13-4) faces Katja Kankaanpaa (6-0-1) at Cage Warriors 51 on Dec. 31 in Dublin. Daly scored her biggest win to date when she submitted current Bellator star Jessica “Evil” Eye for the NAAFS 125-pound women’s title in June 2011. She went on to win her next two fights, but is currently looking to get back on track after dropping decisions to flyweight standouts Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton and Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak. Kankaanpaa cracked the top 10 at 115 pounds when she defeated Mei Yamaguchi in March. She most recently fought to a split draw against England’s Simona Soukupova in September. This bout will be contested at a catchweight of 120 pounds.

(Pictured: Jessica Eye)

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MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every other Monday. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.

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